Quartz Countertop

Hi All,

Am in the process of getting my kitchen upgraded. I am looking to have a new countertop installed, and thought i would look into the newer options available like quartz or silestone etc... rather than granite. Anyone have any experience with any of these countertops? maintainence? durability? scratch resistance etc....

I have done my research online, but wanted info from someone who has first hand knowledge.

Thanks
Vandhana

Vandhana,

You can talk to the experts at the place you are buying the material from - Most stores that carry natural stone will tell you the pros and cons of installing one. Home Expo is a fantastic place to find such information. Where in CA are you located?I know that some natural stones have to be conditioned or tempered with mineral oil, not sure which ones. I personally like granite a lot - cleanup's a breeze and I only need to worry about lime juice/turmeric. It is pretty much resilient to everything else. I also like the sleek look and the variety of options I cold chosse from.

Diva.

Dear Vandhana,

quartz & silestone are all alternates to granite.
recently, a known friend used lighter shade of granite as countertop & she's regretting her decision - lighter shades are usually porous and have higher absorbtion & they take stains. so, she has to be double careful not to spill anything on it. the other day she dropped a piece of mango & she had to scrub so much to clean the stain.

countertops shld be tough, stain-free & with zero absorbtion. the quartz & silestones I heard are not natural stones but factory made artificial stones that can be used as an alternative to granites. I also heard its not suitable for desi-cooking.

Initially, I wanted to use ivory OR pink raw silk (granites) as counter tops but, after visiting my friend's place, changed my mind. I might go for a black or green or any other shade which is stain-free & tough.

Love & regards,

Hi Meena and Diva,

Thanks for the info. Quartz is a naturally occuring material but it is mixed with other materials to give a really tough composite. Here the professionals are leaning towards quartz, because, with granite, it is porous, and can absorb oil etc. Also granite every two years you have to reseal the countertop and polish it to maintain the looks. With quartz, there is no such porblem. The only problem with quartz is that you cannot keep hot stuff directly on it. Lets see. I am still in the exploring stages.
There are so many new options here. glass, stainless steel, and even concrete........ I just thought i would try something different.

Vandhana

Yes, I have heard good things about the quartz countertops too. But I have no first hand experience nor do any of my friends have this counter top. When you finally do decide, let us know what you have selected and what your experience it. Would be interesting to know. Corian countertops too are very popular and I also know some who have it and are extremely satisfied with it. Just for your info.

L, Kamla

Hi Vandhana,
I have a granite countertop. Been using it for the past five years. Just now resealed and polished it. I have a really darker shade[green black mixture]. I love it and had no problem with it. I usually place hot stuff on it and have had no problem with that too. Cleaning is easy just soap and water. Good luck with your countertop shopping and keep us posted.
bye,

Dear Vandhana

I am all for granite. I have a glittering dark maroon granite countertop in my flat in India. I installed it when we built the flat in 2000. Till now we have had no problems with it.

If you are going for granite,darker colours with sparkles in them will look great.

Hi ,

Thanks everyone for your ideas and suggestions. Granite is my option to fall back on if the newer ones do not work out. right now i am inclined towards Quartz, budget permitting.
Kamala, yes i looked into Corian too. Now DuPont has come up with a new product called Simplicity that is supposed to be better than Corian. So will be looking into that also. Hope fully will start my project within the next few weeks.

Vandhana

Hi Everyone,

My new kitchen will be installed on 1 August and I choose black granite as the tops. To match the black granite, I also choose my sinks in black stone (its a 75% granite).

Hopefully it all works out.

Thanks for all the info.